Katherine “Katie” Leach, originally appointed to fill a vacancy for the
Broward County School Board’s Countywide, Seat 8 office, won the District 3 School Board seat during the August 14th primary election. She assumed her duties following the November 20th Swearing-In Ceremony for newly-elected School Board members.

A former student of Floranada Elementary, Pompano Middle, Northeast High School, and Cardinal Gibbons High School, Katie received her Bachelor’s degree from Florida Atlantic University, a Master’s in Education from Nova Southeastern University; and did her teaching internship at Piper High and Pompano Beach Middle School.

Katie has taught in both Los Angeles and Broward County as an ESE classroom teacher, and most currently was employed as an educational consultant by the NSU Mailman Segal Center for Human Development’s Autism Consortium.

This year, 2012-13, Katie will be the School Board’s representative or alternate on the following committees or boards: Performing Arts Center Authority; Broward Juvenile Justice Board (alternate); Broward Cultural Council; Broward Education Foundation (alternate); The Greater Fort Lauderdale Alliance (alternate); Legislative Liaison-Federal (co-representative); Legislative Liaison- State (alternate); FSBA Legislative Liaison (alternate); and the School Board’s Wellness Committee - addressing food and nutrition concerns for Broward County’s students.

Among Katie’s many civic interests and responsibilities on behalf of both the School Board and her personal priorities have been: the Brian Piccolo Chapter (NFL and College Football Hall of Fame) (current); the Education Advisory Board of Fort Lauderdale; the Museum of Discovery Board of Trustees, the Junior League of Greater Fort Lauderdale, The Broward Children’s Services Board; as well as having served as an alternate representative on a number of boards and committees in the area of children’s health, education and welfare.

Katie deeply believes that education serves as the foundation for a strong democracy, and that every child deserves a quality education.  It is her goal to help achieve that by bringing sound fiscal principles to School Board spending in these challenging economic times  without sacrificing the quality of education for our students that must be a priority.

Katie is married to Jason Leach, a local businessman, and they have two young children in Broward County Public Schools.